Kagome's Paths
by Kagehoshi Shadowstar
Summary: A mistake made, a brother lost. Can she walk the right path to make it all up? IY/Labyrinth KagomexJareth M/F
1. The Mistake

Kagome's Paths  
By Kagehoshi  
Ch1 The Mistake

*Disclaimer- I do not own Inu Yasha or The Labyrinth. I have dreams about David Bowie though*

Kagome Higurashi leaned back in her chair and sighed in relief. Finally she was done with her assignment.

Since completing the Shikon no Tama and having the well seal behind her Kagome had spent all of her free time in study trying to make up for lost time. Now here she was, her third week of her last year of High School and she already had massive amounts of work to do. Most of it was completely pointless and utterly unfair. Take the assignment she had just completed.

In her English class each student had to pick a play out of a box full of old English play-books, read it, and write a summary of what it was about. When the box had come to her, Kagome's eye had been caught by a little red leather-bound book in the corner, partially under some other play about a dead salesman. When she had pulled it out she noticed the title embossed in gold across the front, 'The Labyrinth'. It seemed interesting so she decided to stick with that one. However she soon came to regret that decision. Hour after agonizing hour had been spent in deciphering the antiquated production. Kagome had been proud of her English skills, but this assignment had pushed her abilities to the limit. Once deciphered the story line had been interesting though. A tale of a girl who had done the wrong thing by accident, and the paths she must travel in order to make right her mistake. Until finally after having traveled long and hard, and grown stronger through it, she faces the villain to take back what was stolen.

In a way Kagome could sympathize greatly with the girl in the story. It seemed so similar to what she herself had gone through in the past, in order to regain the Shikon and defeat Naraku. So though she had gone through hell in order to decipher the play, Kagome was glad she had picked this particular one.

She stretched and rubbed her sore neck muscles, this was one assignment that would not get the best of her.

"Kagome!" She heard her little brother, Souta, call out, "I'm hungry!" Rolling her eyes the young school girl pushed herself back from her desk and made her way downstairs to where her little brother was sitting in front of the TV playing video games.

"Souta! Don't sit so close to the TV you'll hurt your eyes." Kagome admonished as she entered the kitchen. Souta stuck his tongue out at her and continued playing his game without moving. Kagome started making dinner, her mother and Jii-chan were out for the evening, so it was up to her to watch her little brother. She decided on Oden, not only was it delicious, but it was also easy to make. _Yeah I love Oden!_

When she was done cooking Kagome called for Souta and together the two had a nice dinner. Afterwards Kagome decided to take advantage of the remaining daylight and practice on her archery. Even though her quest in the past had been over for a year, Kagome still felt the need to keep her skills sharp. Though they were few and far between she could still feel youkai in the city. She was still a Priestess, and she knew her duty should any demon become a threat.

Feeling the firm wood of the bow in her hand Kagome calmed and began firing at the target set up at the edge of the yard. The twang of the bowstring and the sound of the arrow hitting the mark, all gave Kagome a sense of peace that could not be matched by anything else on this earth. She had practiced hard at her archery and now could consistently hit the mark at 500 paces. A level that not even Kikyo could match. Load, pull back, aim and fire! The rhythm of her practice was etched so deep into her muscles that thought was no longer required.

After about an hour Kagome stopped her bow, the waning light too dim to continue, and made her way back into the house. Souta was nowhere to be seen, so she continued upstairs to her room intending to change out of her uniform and into pajamas. However, when she entered her room she paused and looked around. Something was wrong, something was…missing. Closing her eyes she let her senses fill the room, there in the corner on her desk. Kagome walked to her desk and towards the box where she kept Inu Yasha's Rosary. She had taken it off him before the final battle with Naraku, unwilling to leave it on her hanyou friend any longer, in case something happened to her. Now the slight bit of magic that the rosary exuded was missing, and when Kagome opened the box that was supposed contained it she found it empty.

"Souta." Kagome growled, he was the only one who would dare. Her mother and grandfather understood what that necklace meant to her. Furious now, she turned and barged into Souta's room, fully intent on causing mass destruction. Souta paled at the sight of his sister and backed up several paces. "The Rosary." Kagome bit out, "Give it to me." She held out her hand. Hesitating only slightly the young boy reached into a nearby bag and pulled out the string of beads and dragon teeth. Snatching it back, Kagome fought the urge to smack him. "How could you?" Souta winced at the coldness in her voice, "You know what this necklace means to me. How could you just take it?"

"I only wanted to borrow it." Souta answered his voice quavering, "I just wanted to hold it for a while, I didn't think you'd miss it. You never open that box."

"This isn't a toy!!!" Kagome yelled her voice booming around the small room causing Souta to flinch back, "This isn't some little bauble to be passed around. This is all I have left of him!"

"Why do you want to keep your memories so bad?!" Souta yelled back, now becoming upset as well, "They only make you sad!"

"Stupid brat! I owe it to them not to forget! Sometimes you're so selfish it makes me sick!!" Kagome shook with anger, "I wish the Goblins would come and take you away forever!"

That stupid play, that stupid stupid play. It had wormed its way into her head so that even now, when so was so angry she couldn't even think straight, she uttered a line from its pages.

The room grew silent, then dark. A huge gust of wind knocked Kagome off her feet and caused her long black hair to fall into her eyes. She heard Souta call out, and then there was nothing.

********  
Hope you enjoyed this, I don't see many IY/Labyrinth crossovers so I thought I'd give it a try. Tell me what you think.


	2. The Goblin King

Kagome's Paths  
by Kagehoshi  
Ch2 The Goblin King

*Disclaimer- the only thing that's mine are the x-rated dreams*

She looked up from her position on the floor and noticed a rather large boot standing in front of her. Raising her eyes up further she observed that the boot had a brother and that they led up to a pair of legs garbed in what looked like black riding pants, which in turn led up to… Kagome blushed furiously and shot her sapphire eyes up all the way, wanting to skip over that part. She was met with the sight of a man that was beautiful enough to give Sesshomaru a run for his money.

"It is not often I am called to this corner of the world." His mouth had opened and Kagome marveled how the perfect marble beauty of his face hadn't cracked with movement, "Your people have your own hobgoblins to fear without having to worry about mine."

Kagome blinked and shook her head as if to clear it, she felt rather odd for some reason.

"I'm sorry, but who _are_ you?" She asked hesitantly. The man smirked, clearly amused.

"Isn't it obvious my dear? I am the Goblin King."

Kagome moved from her sprawled position on the ground and repositioned herself into a proper sitting position, tucking the skirt of her school uniform underneath her. Still not quite sure what was going on and wondering where Souta was, she spoke up again.

"Who?"

"Come come my dear. You should know who I am, after all you're the one who called me."

It was then that Kagome recognized the strange feeling creeping up her spine, it was _magic_, strong magic. It had been so long since she had felt such strong magic, that she hardly recognized it anymore. Then suddenly it all came crashing down on her, _that stupid play was true!_

"Where's Souta?" She questioned her voice soft with fear. The man, if he could be called such, grinned and formed a crystal in his hand.

"Why do you care?" He asked haughtily beginning to roll the clear ball around his fingers. Kagome shot to her feet in anger.

"Give me back my brother you bastard!" She yelled at him. He cocked an eyebrow at her and continued to twirl the crystal about in his hands.

"He is mine now little one, you have given him to me."

"I didn't mean it! I didn't think it was real!"

"What's said is said, forget him and I will make it worth your while."

Kagome clenched her fists in anger, _'how dare he ask such a reprehensible thing'! _

"I won't just forget my brother! How dare you ask me such a thing! And how dare you try to bribe me into abandoning him, what kind of monster do you take me for?!"

"The kind that would wish him away in the first place." He replied the corner of his mouth twitching in obvious amusement.

Kagome sucked in her lip, his quip had stung, but she wouldn't give up.

"That was said in the heat of the moment, I didn't mean any of it." She raised her chin stubbornly, "Now give me back my little brother or I'll…"

"You'll what?" quite suddenly he was before her, his 6'9" frame easily topping her tiny 5'5" figure. Kagome paused not sure if her powers would work against a Goblin King.

"I don't know, but it won't be pretty!" She finally bit out furiously. He gave a short bark of laughter and leaned back some, his eyes slowly going over her form.

"How old are you?" He suddenly asked. Kagome was surprised at the question, but answered anyway.

"Eighteen."

"Little human you amuse me." He stated letting a small smile grace his features. Kagome growled in the back of her throat, jabbing a finger into his gut she ground out.

"My name is Kagome, Ka-go-me. Get it right." He merely arched an eyebrow and continued to stare down at her, "And give me my brother back! Where is he?!"

The Goblin King moved and twirled around to end up behind her, Kagome swirled in order to keep him in her sight.

"You know very well where he is, Kagome." He said her name slowly as if tasting it. Kagome tried to remember the words of that stupid play she had been forced to read, suddenly it came to her.

"The Castle beyond the Goblin City."

"Correct." His gloved hand pointed to a place behind her and suddenly Kagome was no longer standing in her home, but on the side of a green hill. However, Kagome's attention was firmly fixed upon the great Labyrinth that lie in the distance, 'it's so far'.

"You have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth and find your baby brother, or else he remains mine forever." With that the Monarch disappeared and Kagome found herself alone.

"Jerk." She muttered to herself, before setting off in the Labyrinth's direction. Unbeknownst to her a blond figure observed her figure as she moved over the grassy terrain, 'this will be interesting' he thought.

Love it? Hate it? Give me a damn review!!


	3. Reflections

Kagome's Paths  
by Kagehoshi  
Ch3 Reflections

*Disclaimers-same*

Jareth, the Goblin King, sat on his throne and watched the little mortal in one of his crystals. She really was quite intriguing. No mortal had ever stood up to him like she had, not even _that one_. He frowned, and the gesture looked wrong on the perfect beauty of his face. Young Sara had been a mistake, far too young to understand what he was offering, and honestly he wasn't sure what he had seen in the chit. She was far too spoiled for her own good. But this one, this Kagome, she had a fire and a spark to her that he had never seen in a mortal before.

It was odd for him to be called so far to the East. His legends and domain were primarily in the western world, where tales of the wicked Goblin King circulated continuously from mother to children. Yet he had heard the call, and had been surprised by the amount of emotion behind it. Not hatred, but something more painful. Deeper, and stronger than anything he had felt before, so strong that it gave him pause to wonder what this young mortal girl could have gone through to make her suffer such pain..

She had looked so delicious sitting before him, not understanding what had happened. Yet when her anger had sparked, he had nearly lost himself. The fire in her eyes, the way her whole being seemed to _glow_, she had been a Goddess before him. When she had threatened him, it had taken all his self-control not to pick her up and kiss her with everything she had inspired in him.

She was so lovely as she stood before him, like a perfect porcelain doll, threatening him with bodily harm. Her waist length ebony hair hung around her like a shimmering curtain and her sapphire blue eyes flashing with rage. Looking her over he had noticed her attire, which showed off the lovely shape of her legs. _Ah, yes. This is what they call a school uniform here._ He had recalled, and privately he approved of the ensemble, it was innocent yet evocative, and when she had spun about to face him he had gotten a tantalizing glimpse of her under-things.

She had been so tiny next to his tall frame that he had wondered at her age, she did not act as a child, and with her womanly curves she did not look like one, and she was not. In truth she was a woman grown, old enough for children of her own. Though in this modern era, mortals did not agree.

He admired her for her fire and her courage. She had not whined to get her brother back, nor complained. She had faced him and demanded her brother be returned to her like a Queen. It amazed him, for no mortal had done such a thing before. Most cowered at the sight of him, becoming tearful sniveling blobs. Even Sara had feared him in the beginning, yet not this girl. If he hadn't known better he would say she had faced down the supernatural before. He had felt something strange from her, something akin to magic, yet **pure**. There certainly was something strange about the girl; you could tell by the way the borderlands had conformed to her presence. The Labyrinth was a reflection of the person who walked through it. It conformed to fit the personality of those who would try and solve it, changing slightly each time to suite the personality of the challenger. He had been amazed upon their arrival to the borderlands to find them so green and vibrantly alive.

Never had a mortal so bewitched him in such a way, it was almost as if he was being drawn to her, as if he was connected… Jareth quickly shoved such thoughts away and continued to look into the crystal, for now he would watch, and see how this little mortal girl fared against his Labyrinth.


	4. Twists and Turns

Kagome's Paths  
by Kagehoshi  
Ch 4 Twists and Turns

Upon reaching the walls of the Labyrinth, Kagome was greeted by cold crumbling stone and green ivy. No sign of an entrance anywhere. She continued to walk hoping to find something _somewhere_ that would give her a clue on how to get into the Labyrinth.

As she rounded the corner a strange sight met her eyes. It was a man! But he was only a foot high, and wearing little brown cotton trousers, and a green vest over a long sleeved white shirt. A little green cap rested on his head and his feet were covered by what looked like leather slippers with curled toes. He was doing something odd, walking towards a large rock nearly three times as large as he was with a determined look in his eye.

'_What is he doing?_' Kagome wondered. Then to her amazement the little man grasped the boulder firmly in his hands and proceeded to lift it above his head. Kagome's eyes widened in shock as the little man tossed the boulder into a large pile of various sized rocks nearby.

"Go little guy." Kagome mumbled to herself as she walked forward. When she got close enough she paused and cleared her throat. It would probably be a good idea not to startle a creature that could lift 50x its body weight.

"Hello, my name is Kagome. It's very nice to meet you." Kagome waited for him to respond but when none was forthcoming she continued on ahead. "What's your name?" The little man turned to face her, glaring at her with one squinted brown eye he spat and responded curtly.

"Gnert."

"Nert?" Kagome asked, wondering at the strange name.

"Gnert." He replied more forcibly, and Kagome picked up on the subtle sound of a 'G' before his name.

"Ah, Gnert." He nodded once in confirmation, "I don't mean to be rude or anything but what exactly are you?"

"Gnome." Once again his answer was short and to the point.

"Well Gnert the Gnome, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"You have."

"What?"

"You asked Gnert a question already."

Kagome blinked then sighed in exasperation. '_Don't let him get to you Kags. You should be happy he finally said a full sentence'_ With that thought Kagome continued as if nothing had happened.

"How do I get into the Labyrinth?"

Gnert blinked then began talking to himself as he started walking quickly along the Labyrinth wall his little legs going much faster than one would think. Kagome had no choice but to trail along helplessly behind the Gnome as he mumbled darkly to himself.

"Knows to ask the right question straight off, this one does. Got no fun like Hoggle. Foolish Hoggle falling for human girl. Gnert won't fall, no no. Gnert knows his place he does. Foolish human going into the Labyrinth."

"I don't mean to interrupt you or anything." Kagome broke in, "But I don't suppose you'd help me, would you?" She had no clue what was going on or what he was talking about, but she needed to get her brother back and she didn't have time to dawdle.

"Gnert is helping, Gnert is showing how to get into the Labyrinth."

Kagome instantly felt bad, she hadn't meant to be so rude, she was just a little frustrated.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, I'm just worried about my brother. I shouldn't have assumed you were ignoring me."

"It's not smart to assume things. Especially in the Labyrinth, no no. Not smart to ignore things either. Will get you in trouble it will. Silly human going to get hurt she is." Gnert started mumbling again and quickened his pace. Soon Kagome was standing in a little Courtyard complete with fountain and flowers.

"Is human sure she wants to go into the Labyrinth?" Gnert asked staring up at her with a curious look on his face.

"My name is Kagome. And yes, I am sure." Kagome said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. Gnert shrugged the pointed to a set of large ornate doors set into the wall.

"If you is sure, then there you go. Labyrinth is in there." Gnert began to walk off mumbling to himself once again.

"Oh wait!" Kagome called out as the small Gnome began to disappear around a corner. He paused and turned back to face Kagome.

"Gnert has done his part he has, no more help will you receive from him."

"No, that's not it." Kagome said warmly smiling beautifully at the Gnome, "I wanted to thank you for your help, I really appreciate it."

Gnert blinked as if not quite understanding what she had said, but then his expression lightened and he gave a little bow to the young girl.

"Gnert likes this one, he does. Much nicer than the others she is." And with that the little man walked around the corner and out of sight.

Kagome sighed and turned to face the open door. It was dark inside and Kagome could smell mold and fungus. Her skin crawled at the thought of what could lay beyond those innocent seeming doors. Snapping her head up Kagome straightened her shoulders and marched forward refusing to let some silly doors intimidate her. After all she had faced lots of scary things in her journey in the past, and this time it was her brother at stake. She wouldn't lose him just because she was slightly frightened. As she stepped through the doorway Kagome expected to be met with a mass of different corridors all leading in different directions. Instead, only one corridor met her gaze, one that seemed to stretch on endlessly in both directions. _Expect the unexpected. Maybe there will be openings further on down the way._ She thought, before determinedly turning to her right and marching down the hallway. The corridor was filled with dead branches and tree limbs, which she had to continuously skirt. The nooks and crannies in the walls were covered with mold and fungi, which she had an eerie feeling were watching her. She continued walking for a short time, but when no openings were forthcoming Kagome began to run, desperately seeking something that would bring her closer to her brother. Out of breath and annoyed beyond belief Kagome stopped and rested her arms upon her knees.

"This is ridiculous! What kind of maze is this?!" Kagome yelled in frustration before slumping against the Labyrinth wall.

"KoNIchiwa!" A bright cheerful voice spoke out above her. Kagome looked up in surprise only to be greeted by the sight of a large blue butterfly wearing what appeared to be a red scarf.

"Did you just say Konnichiwa?" She asked in shock, '_since when do insects speak?_'

"No I said KoNIchiwa, but that's close enough." The rather pretty bug answered, if possible, even more cheerfully. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you. I really need to solve this Labyrinth, but I can't even seem to get started. I don't suppose you know the way?" Kagome asked politely, at this point she was willing to take any help she could get.

"No sorry, I'm just a butterfly. Are you sure about that tea? It's honeysuckle." It flitted around her head and Kagome absently noticed how beautiful the markings on its wings were.

"That does sound lovely, but I really do need to get into the Labyrinth, but I haven't found a single opening yet."

The butterfly chuckled and said, "If the openings were that easy to find then it wouldn't be much of a Labyrinth now would it?" He flitted over to the other side of the path, "In this case your eyes are your greatest enemy."

Kagome frowned and rubbed her head in thought. "My eyes are my greatest enemy? So I should just close them and see what happens." With this in mind Kagome stood and taking a deep breath, closed her eyes. With the loss of her vision her other senses became stronger and Kagome began to notice things she hadn't earlier. She could smell the mold growing on the walls and taste it in the air, she could hear the breeze coming from her right and feel it as it gently passed over her skin. Hey, wait a second! A breeze from her right? Kagome snapped her eyes open and looked towards her right. A solid brick wall greeted her vision and she frowned in confusion. She could clearly feel the breeze as it blew through the passageway, yet that should be impossible with the solid wall there. Unless the wall wasn't as solid as it appeared? Gathering her courage Kagome walked forward, her hands held out in front of her, ready for impact, but none came. She continued to walk forward only to find that what she thought to be a solid wall was in fact…

"Oh My!" Kagome exclaimed in surprise and pleasure, it was an optical illusion. There was actually an opening in the wall, it only looked solid because of an identical wall behind which blended in together with the walls in front of it. In much better spirits now Kagome went off into the new passage way.

"Oh wait! Don't go that way!" The butterfly called out behind her. Kagome paused and turned around to face the fluttering insect.

"Why? What's wrong with this passage?" Kagome asked in a confused voice, surely there couldn't be that much of a difference between the two ways.

"That way will take you to the castle!" The butterfly warned, fear making his voice shake slightly.

"But that's exactly where I want to go." Kagome said firmly. The butterfly flew back a couple of inches and began to flit in agitated patterns.

"Why do you want to go there? Nothing good ever happens there."

"Nevertheless that is where I must go, I don't have a choice." Decision made Kagome walked down the pathway, no hesitation apparent in her steps. Watching her go the butterfly twitched his antenna in agitation.

"Shame, she was such a nice one too. Oh well not much I can do."


	5. Holding Your Own

Kagome's Paths  
by Kagehoshi  
Ch 5 Holding Your Own

He had to pee. He _really really_ had to pee, but as there was nowhere in sight to relieve himself he opted for doing the potty dance. He was in a strange place all by himself, it was so dark he could not see anything around him. He had been here for what seemed like ages but had only actually been an hour. He wondered where his sister was, he really wanted to apologize to her, he hadn't meant to make her so angry.

Souta sighed, he knew that Kagome missed her friends a great deal; he could see the lingering sorrow in her sapphire eyes even as she smiled and went about her daily business. But what _she_ didn't realize was that she was not alone in her sorrow. Inu Yasha had been like an older brother to him, and he had heard so much about the others in the group that he felt as if he knew them as well. Their loss affected him also, perhaps not as deeply as his older sister, but he was still sad. He sighed once again and leaned back against the smooth, cool wall behind him and slide down to the floor. Curling up Souta rested his head on his knees and stared into the encompassing darkness. He had only wanted to hold the rosary for a while to have it close to him, so that he could maybe feel connected to Inu Yasha in some way. Yet somehow Kagome had known instantly that the necklace was not where it should have been. Never in his life had he seen his sister so angry, not even when those guys had flipped her skirt up on the subway and she had beaten the crap out of them. Her eyes had radiated a cold fury that seemed to freeze him in place as it filled him with fear. She was so unwilling to share her sorrow with others, thinking to spare them the pain, but she needed to understand that with sharing could come release.

He had gotten angry when she accused him of using the Rosary like a toy, he knew how valuable it was. So he shouted back at his sister saying things he had not meant or believed, and she had responded in kind. Souta hadn't heard exactly what Kagome had said, he only remembered the wind and then the oddest feeling of lightness. The next thing he knew he had been standing in the place he still currently occupied.

Souta fidgeted as he tried to forget the call of his bladder. He didn't know where he was or what was going on but he missed his sister. Angry as she had been he knew she wouldn't abandon him, so where was she? He really had to pee, those four glasses of soda at dinner were starting to get even with him.

Souta was just about to screw manners and pee in a corner, when again he felt that curious feeling of weightlessness and suddenly his eyes were assaulted with light once again.

As soon as his vision adjusted Souta looked up from his crouched position and took in his surroundings. He sat in a stone room a large stone pit in front of him and high arches along the sides. However, the medieval architecture was not what gained Souta's immediate attention, the smell won that battle. It was enough to knock you on your ass and slowly choke you to death. Stale alcohol, sweat, leather, vomit and the tangy reek of steel permeated the air with a vengeance. Souta wrinkled his nose in disgust at the filth that coated the floors and let his eyes wander freely. Several steps met his gaze and he followed them upwards until they reached a large divan like throne. It was the throne's occupant that had Souta scrambling to his feet and backing away several steps.

The man did not move an inch, save to slowly smack a black riding crop against his booted leg, he merely continued to silently observe Souta, resting his head on one gloved hand. Souta shifted nervously for a while then defiantly glared back at the strange man. The stranger lifted his eyebrow in amusement at Souta's show of rebellion and gave a soft bark of laughter. Getting to his feet with a grace that spoke of inner power he stalked towards the young boy.

"You're just like her." The voice was almost hypnotic and Souta jerked away in surprise when he realized that the figure stood not two feet away. "What's your name boy." It was a command not a request and Souta somehow could not resist.

"Souta."

"Well Souta, I am called Jareth and I am King here. You have been wished away to my Kingdom by your older sister, Kagome," Souta shivered at the odd inflection put into his sister's name, "And unless she is able to solve my Labyrinth here you will stay." Jareth paused and looked down at the boy, who was still glaring at him in insolence. "Nothing to say?"

"My sister will come for me you big jerk!" Souta finally spoke up. Without a single sign to show that he had heard Souta's defiant proclamation, Jareth stalked back to his throne and gracefully seated himself back into its cushions.

"What makes you so sure?" His voice held a slight note of curiosity to it as he gazed at the boy.

"She's faced scarier things than you before! Kagome's going to kick your ass!"

At this Jareth sat up and leaned forward in his throne.

"What _sort_ of things has your sister faced?" Perhaps now some of his questions about the girl could be answered. He knew there was something strange about her, but he couldn't quite figure out what.

Souta remained silent, sullenly glaring at the man before him, he wasn't going to tell him a thing and give this weirdo any advantage over his sister.

Jareth sighed, obviously he wasn't going to be getting answers anytime soon. He leaned back in his throne and gestured nonchalantly.

"It matters not, I am not your sister's greatest concern. The obstacles and denizens of my Labyrinth are a greater danger to your sister than I."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that. The challenge is that all she must do is make her way through the Labyrinth and find you, and you will be set free. I will not harm her in any way. But you have no need to worry about that, it is highly unlikely that she will solve the Labyrinth at all."

"Has it ever been done before?" The question was soft, but Jareth still managed to pick it up. He frowned, mostly to himself.

"Once." The answer was curt, and Souta knew to keep his mouth shut on this one, "You will be here for quite some time boy. Is there anything you require?"

Souta couldn't have stopped himself even if he wanted to.

"I have to pee."


	6. Knowledge is Dangerous

Kagome's Paths  
By Kagehoshi  
CH6 Knowledge is Dangerous

At least the mold was gone. While little else in this adventure had improved, she could at least be thankful that the current passageway she was walking down was completely free of mold and that weird fungus with eyes. Unfortunately it was also completely free of everything else, including turns and openings. This passageway was much narrower then the previous one so she walked down it with her hands touching both walls as she moved forwards. Yet her actions had yielded no results, and she continued her way down the seemingly unending passageway.

'Walking like this is boring.' She thought as she trudged onwards, 'at least in the Sengoku Jidai I had my friends to talk to.' Kagome had to pause and take a deep breath as a sharp jab of pain shot across her chest. 'Gotta keep my mind occupied, now is not the time to break down.' Opening her mouth Kagome began to recite the Harae no Kotoba, a prayer of purification.

"Kakemakumo Kashikoki

Izanagi no O Kami

Tsukushi no Himuka no

Tachibana no Odo no Ahagihara ni

Misogi harashi tamaishi toki ni nari maseru

Haraedo no O Kamitachi

Moromoro no magagoto tsumi kegare aramu o ba

Harae tamai kiyome tamae to

Maosu koto o

Kikoshi meseto

Kashikomi kashikomi mo mao….oomph!" (1)

As she uttered the last line of the short prayer Kagome had turned to look behind her, to see how far she had gone, only to run headlong into something rather solid.

"Ooooh my butt!" Kagome groaned, rubbing her sore bottom before looking up at what she had run into, "Where the heck did that door come from?" And indeed a door had appeared, seemingly from nowhere, to sit quite contently in the middle of the path. Kagome painfully got to her feet and gave the door a closer look. Her close observation yielded old sturdy wood, polished to a deep glow, and quite obviously well cared for. The golden doorknob was old fashioned and very ornate, featuring quite an amount of curls and swirls in the metal work.

"Well nothing ever got accomplished just standing around." Kagome muttered, and drawing in a deep breath she grasped hold of the doorknob and entered the doorway.

What met her sight on the other side stole her breath away. A Library! Not just any library though, this one was HUGE and filled from floor to ceiling, wall to wall with books. Kagome closed the door softly behind her as she walked further into the hushed room. She remained quiet as she walked among the bookshelves, unwilling to disturb the peaceful quiet that always seemed to permeate libraries.

As she softly treaded through the stacks, Kagome read the titles of the books she passed. She seemed to be in the philosophy section now, and works of Plato, Aristotle and other great thinkers perched on the shelves as if they were in a state of great contemplation. Soon though she came to the end of the Philosophy shelves and saw the start of a new section before her. Reading some of these titles, Kagome grimaced to herself.

"Ug, math books. I hate Math." She muttered as she walked down the narrow aisles. Pressing onwards through the shelves Kagome thought she heard some strange rustlings behind her, but when she turned to find out what was there all she saw was row upon row of books. Shaking her head Kagome continued onwards and saw a flash of red in the distance. Quickening her pace, Kagome scurried forward hoping that she had found an exit, or at least a break from all these books. Reaching the end of the aisle Kagome saw, to her delight, a little sitting area complete with large red squishy chairs and a cherry wood coffee table. Taking several steps forward, Kagome suddenly pitched forward as something heavy slammed into the back of her head.

"Kuso!" She swore as she found herself sprawled across the polished marble floor, "What the hell was that?!" scrambling to her knees Kagome gingerly touched the back of her head, where a large bump was forming, and looked around to find what had clocked her. Sitting somewhat innocently by her right leg was a rather large old book on Mathematics.

"Man I really _hate_ math!" She exclaimed, growling at the prone book and getting to her feet. Almost at once the strange rustling from before filled the air, and Kagome turned in horror as almost every book on the nearby shelves seemed to lift themselves upwards and fling themselves at the terrified girl. Any exclamations she might have uttered caught in her throat as Kagome stared at the flock of books headed straight for her. Nearly too late she flung up her hands and a barrier surrounded her form, barely stopping the angered volumes as they crashed into the invisible wall. The force once again knocked her off her feet and she fell backwards catching herself with her hands just in time. The books surrounded her, continuously banging on the hastily erected shield, so that Kagome could no longer see her surroundings her vision obscured by the massive amounts of paper floating around. Shocked and unsure of what to do Kagome remained still, her mind a complete blank. 'I'm gonna get killed by math!' was the only thought echoing around in her head. Just when the energy bubble around her started to waver under the relentless onslaught, a large roar sounded throughout the sitting area.

"GET BACK ON YOUR SHELVES THIS INSTANT!!!!" Instantly the books ceased their attack and rushed back to the bookcases behind them, quivering slightly in their bindings. As soon as the coast was clear Kagome dropped her barrier and turned towards the source of the voice.

"Oh!" Was all that she could utter, as her savior came into sight. He was large, grey, and ugly with large curling horns on the side of his head and equally large fangs distorting his already overly large mouth. He caught sight of Kagome and moved towards her and further into the light. Large bat like wings were revealed as well as large clawed feet and sharp taloned hands. Strangely though, there was also a pair of small golden spectacles perched on his nose, giving him a slightly scholarly air.

"Little human, just what do you think you are doing in my library?" Kagome quickly got herself together and rushed to her feet.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude…"

"If you hadn't meant to intrude you wouldn't have entered." The creature grunted, removing his spectacles and rubbing them between the grey piece of cloth draped around his waist. Kagome flushed and tried again.

"I was just walking through the Labyrinth and this door appeared out of nowhere, so I went through it and ended up here." Kagome chewed her lip ruefully then rushed on as she noticed the creature scowling, "I didn't know it belonged to anybody, and I'm really sorry I just came in without making myself known. I was just anxious to solve the Labyrinth and go home." Kagome wrung her hands in her skirt hoping that the strange being would accept her apology. Her head was killing her where that book had struck and she didn't think she could concentrate enough to erect another shield at this point.

"Did you say you're trying to solve the Labyrinth?" He spoke again after awhile, at Kagome's hesitant nod he snorted and moved forward further into the sitting area, "I should have guessed you were another Wisher. There aren't a lot of humans left in the Labyrinth." He stopped a few feet in front of Kagome and looked her over, "Just what did you do to upset the books so much? I haven't seen them that agitated in centuries."

"I didn't do anything I was just minding my own business." She glared at the books sitting innocently on their shelves, "It would have to be math books."

The creature let out a loud bark of laughter and shock his head ruefully, "Not to fond of Math are we?" Kagome's expression said everything and he let out another burst of laughter, "These books are very sensitive, they probably felt insulted over your dislike of their contents."

"I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble." Kagome said softly, her guilt clearly reflected in her blue eyes.

"Think nothing of it." He waved his hand at her, "I've never rescued a damsel in distress before, it was quite an experience."

Kagome grinned up at him and offered a slight bow.

"My name is Kagome, thank you very much for rescuing me Mr.…"

The creature raised an eyebrow, or at least she thought it was an eyebrow, and gave a small smile.

"Gargoyles do not use names, as such, and I am most definitely not a Mr."

"No names? Then how do you address each other?" Kagome asked genuinely curious, she had heard about gargoyles but had never had the opportunity to see a stone one before, let alone a living breathing one.

"Friend is usually adequate enough."

"Well that's a little silly. Do you mind if I give you a name? Just until we part ways?"

"Do as you like it doesn't bother me." The Gargoyle stated moving past Kagome towards the bookshelves behind her. Kagome turned and watched as he checked over the books sitting on the shelves and fixed those who had misplaced themselves during the scurry back to their cases.

"How about Hiroyuki? I've always liked that name." Kagome queried, still watching as the Gargoyle tenderly handled each book.

"Hiroyuki?" He tilted his head in interest, "That's a Japanese name isn't it?"

"Of course it is. I'm Japanese after all." Now it was Kagome's turn to tilt her head, but in confusion, "Couldn't you tell? We've been speaking in Japanese this whole time."

Hiroyuki grinned widely and turned to regard the little human female before him.

"No we haven't. We've been speaking the Fae tongue. Everyone in the Labyrinth speaks it, and it's universally understood." He moved back in front of her, "Didn't you realize this?"

Kagome shook her head, and instantly regretted it. Pain shot through her skull and Kagome hissed as her vision blurred.

"Oh dear, did one of them get you?" Hiroyuki asked in concern.

"Yes. That one," Kagome pointed to the large book sitting on a nearby shelve, "got me in the back of my head before I realized what was going on."

Tutting softly Hiroyuki gently held her head as he lightly explored the back of Kagome's head with a claw.

"Oh yes, that's a nasty bump. Come with me and we'll see about getting that taken care of."

Kagome bit her lip in indecision. She really wanted some aspirin, and any pain relief Hiroyuki could offer would be most welcome. However, Souta was waiting and she didn't want to leave him for too long.

"I would love to, but my brother…"

Hiroyuki gave her a sharp look and then nodded knowingly.

"The one you wished away?"

"Yes." Kagome replied softly, tears threatening to spill, "It was an accident, I was just so angry and hurt that… that…"

"That you said something you did not mean?" Hiroyuki finished, his voice equally soft. When Kagome nodded slightly, Hiroyuki sighed and drew her into a soft hug. Caught by surprise Kagome did not resist and was actually quite soothed by the slightly musty smell of the kind Gargoyle, "We all say things we do not mean. I wish that I could take back some hastily uttered words over the centuries." Kagome laughed softly and spoke into Hiroyuki's chest.

"You're a very gentle gargoyle Hiroyuki, I'm glad I ran into you." Hiroyuki grunted and released Kagome.

"Yes well most other gargoyles are actually quite brutal and rude. I just happen to be a strange one." He began to walk towards a different set of shelves across from the sitting area, "Now lets see about that bump of yours shall we? After I'm done I'll escort you to the path that will get you to the castle."

Kagome smiled brightly and followed the gargoyle through the library. He led down row after row of books and scrolls all stacked neatly in their place. Kagome was in awe as she continued to look around the vast collection of books.

"Wow! I've never seen so many books before in my life! You must really like to read." Kagome paused as she noticed a shelf filled with the latest bestsellers in Japan, then rushed onwards to catch up with Hiroyuki.

"This Library contains every book that was ever written, they show up here almost as soon as they are completed." Hiroyuki replied brightly, "It's about all I can do to keep up with them." Kagome laughed.

"You remind me of a friend of mine, he loved to read and learn new things." Suddenly Kagome clenched her teeth as the familiar feeling of despair made its way up her throat from her chest as the vision of cheerful violet eyes swam before her.

"Come along then," Hiroyuki called out, "We're almost there."

Pushing down the painful feeling Kagome quickened her stride and soon had caught up to Hiroyuki who was standing by a small plain door.

"Ah, here we go. These are my living quarters, everything I'll need is in here." With that he opened the door and motioned Kagome through. Entering the room, Kagome noticed that it was every bit as neat and tidy as the library outside. Notebooks and quill pens were stacked neatly on a large desk and there was no clutter on any of the flat surfaces. A bright cheery fire roared in the fireplace and Kagome gratefully felt the warmth wash over her. Motioning for Kagome to sit in one of the nearby soft chairs Hiroyuki opened up a set of cabinets and pulled out some mugs and dried herbs.

"Willow bark and lunar mushroom tea for you my dear. That should help with the pain, and the swelling." He moved around for a bit, measuring out the dried herbs and grabbing a teakettle that had been sitting near the fire.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Kagome questioned, not feeling right as her host did all the work.

"No, no, it's quite alright. I'm almost done." He proceeded to pour the boiling water into the mug containing the dried herbs, "There we go, now drink up." He proclaimed, triumphantly placing the steaming mug before her. Kagome picked it up and held in closely as the warmth sank into her hands. Blowing softly she brought the mug to her lips and took a small sip.

"Mmmmm, it's good!" She exclaimed quite surprised.

"Yes that would be the lunar mushrooms, very tasty but unfortunately they only grow on nights of the full moon." Hiroyuki responded sitting across from Kagome another mug in his hand. Sipping their tea they remained silent as they watched the flames flicker in the fireplace. Kagome looked up as she heard another door open up and a deep voice call out.

"Fwend?"

"In here Ludo!" Hiroyuki called out, not moving from his spot. A door next to the fireplace opened up and Kagome's eyes widened as the creature entered the room. It was huge! And so fuzzy. Kagome hid her grin behind her cup as she pictured snuggling with the giant orange teddy bear that had just entered the room.

"Ludo! Come in and meet a friend of mine." Hiroyuki gestured the big beast over and Kagome felt a slight twinge of apprehension as the creature caught sight of her and started shambling forward at an alarming pace.

"Sa-wa! Sa-wa!"

Hiroyuki immediately got to his feet and headed off the monster before it could crush the tiny human girl.

"No not Sarah, this is Kagome."

"Kagoeh?"

"Yes that's right Kagome."

"Kagoeh Fwend?" The creature seemed so anxious that Kagome couldn't help but smile.

"Yes Ludo, I'll be your friend."

At this Ludo's eyes lit up and he shambled towards another doorway as if anxious to share the news of his new friend with others. Hiroyuki watched him go and shook his head in amazement.

"He never changes."

"Who is Sara?" Kagome asked suddenly, taking another sip of her tea. Hiroyuki regarded her for an instant than responded.

"Sara was another human, just like you, who called upon the Goblin King and who regretted it. Unlike those who walked the Labyrinth before, however, she managed to solve the Labyrinth and take her child home."

"She took her child home?" She sounded surprised "So it _is_ possible to solve the Labyrinth." Kagome exclaimed happily.

"Possible?" Hiroyuki sniffed, "Of course it's possible. There's no such thing as impossible."

"What?"

"You heard me, there's no such thing as impossible. There's only the lack of intelligent people to figure it out. I believe there was some song written about this subject, some years ago in the mortal realm. However, since Gargoyles were created to scare the bejeezus out of you and not sing uplifting songs about overcoming the odds I shall refrain."

"You're too kind." Kagome smiled over her mug and Hiroyuki snorted and plopped back down into his chair, grabbing his mug and taking a swig of tea in the process.

Soon they had finished their tea and Kagome was anxious to get going. As if noticing her impatience Hiroyuki stood and offered his hand to Kagome.

"Feeling better?" He asked as he helped her to her feet. Kagome nodded, she really truly did, those mushrooms were awesome. "Then let's get going shall we. You won't get any closer by just standing still."

Kagome laughed and followed him out the same door Ludo had entered earlier. The door led to a small kitchen like area, which Hiroyuki ignored in favor of a beaten wooden door set into a wall on her left. Opening it Hiroyuki stepped through and Kagome quickly followed, blinking her eyes at the sunlight that filled her vision.

"Your pathway is there." Hiroyuki stated pointing in between two green hills. " Once over those hills you'll see a dirt road, follow it until you see a courtyard and a fountain. In front of the fountain is a man in a bird hat. Ignore the bird, he's a pain anyway, and take the left path, that way you can avoid the bog of eternal stench. And trust me you want to avoid that. That is all I can help you with now little one. I'm afraid I don't know the Labyrinth very well."

"That's OK Hiroyuki, you've been a huge help already. I don't know how I can ever thank you." Kagome said warmly giving the startled gargoyle a big hug and walking towards the hills. When she got to the top Kagome turned and waved enthusiastically to the stationary gargoyle in the distance, before disappearing over the other side.

He stood there for a while after she had disappeared, then snorted to himself and shook his head ruefully.

"Hiroyuki. Ha! I must be getting soft in my old age." He turned and went to go back inside, but before entering he paused and turned his head back towards the direction she had taken. "May the fates be kind to you little one, for the Labyrinth will not." Then sighing to himself he entered the building.

* * *

(1) The Harae no Kotoba is a short prayer of purification, often recited at Shinto shrines. I've done my best to try and translate this, but unfortunately some things just don't translate so I skipped a couple lines (sorry)

Humbly, I approach the Kami in prayer  
Our ancestral kami Izanagi no O Kami  
(SKIP)  
Where his very being was cleansed by Great Kami of purification  
I humbly beseech the kami to cleanse me of all impurities  
Within myself, in my relations with others,  
Between myself and the way of Nature  
Hear these modest words.  
Humbly, reverently, I speak this prayer.

And… that was pretty bad; I don't think I got quite the right tone with this translation. If you want a better one go ask a professional. My translation skills sucks. Oh and in case you were wondering the last word was 'maosu'. I often recite this prayer to myself because it helps me calm down, and clear my mind.


	7. Never Think Alone

Kagome's Paths  
by Kagehoshi  
Ch7 Never think alone

She wouldn't leave his thoughts. Like a lingering dream that floated in the back of one's mind, she flitted in and out of his head. It had come to the point that he had found it impossible to accomplish his daily tasks. He had to force himself not to constantly watch her as she made her way through his Labyrinth. He was shocked when she immediately asked the gnome the right question, one that could not have any other answer than the one she was seeking. He was even more amazed when she discovered the hidden opening on her own, with only minimal help from the butterfly. He barely contained his pleasure when she asked the bug why she shouldn't go down that path. Her intelligence was much greater than the spoiled girl-child who had come before. After that he had to leave her, his duties called and no matter how he wished otherwise he could not ignore them. Yet as he attended to his daily tasks he found that her determined face and fiery eyes were reflected almost continuously into his mind.

He tossed aside the mass of scrolls he has been trying to read for the last hour and blew out a sigh of frustration. The girl was mysterious; she was human yet she seemed _more_ than human. The talk with her brother had yielded little information, other than the fact that stubborn defiance obviously ran in her family. His mouth twitched in amusement, he wondered what their mother was like. He stood and walked out from behind the large oak desk where he had been sitting in futility for the past hour and a half. Moving to the large glass window cut into the cold stone wall, he looked out onto what he had been receiving reports about for the past couple hours.

The Labyrinth was green. Almost completely covered in plant life, from towering trees to delicate blossoms, the entire damn thing was filled with new life. Several species of creatures, which had long since thought to have abandoned the Labyrinth, had been sighted. The Labyrinth even _smelled_ different damn it! He couldn't explain what was happening to his kingdom, and he didn't like it.

The Labyrinth was supposed to reflect the innermost being of the wisher as they tried to solve it. Their darkest fears brought to life, their biggest dreams used against them. All to challenge those who would seek to defeat its puzzle. In the past the Labyrinth had changed only slightly to fit each person who walked through its passages, its normal defenses usually more than enough to combat those unfortunate enough to try. It kept some of the additions that had been added on from various challengers, but on the whole remained unchanged. Jareth allowed a small smirk to cross his face remembering the young boy who had added the Bog of Eternal Stench. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't receive a petition of some sort from some Labyrinth dweller to do _something_ about that 'damn Bog'. Yet never in the entire history of the Labyrinth, and it was a long history, had the Labyrinth reacted this strongly to a wisher. It didn't make any sense, why such a large reaction, the girl was only human. True she possessed some strange power, but that should not affect the Labyrinth like this. Dragons had returned to his domain, after a thousand year absence they returned to the Craggy Peaks as if they had never left. Not even he had the ability to control the Dragons, yet somehow this girl called them back.

He didn't like it when things happened out of his control. It tended to sour his mood, yet at the thought of the girl, Kagome, all sourness instantly faded. Surprisingly that somehow made him angrier. Why did she affect him so much? Nothing and no one had _ever_ gotten into his head like this girl, and he had only met her once. Something about her called to him, made him want to be near her, to know her, to love her. He paused at that last thought and frowned, he was the Goblin King he did **not** love. He had learned the folly of loving a mortal long ago.

He gestured regally and a crystal ball formed in his hand, obviously he would get nothing accomplished until the mystery of this girl was solved. Her smiling face and glowing blue eyes filled the ball, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling softly in response. Catching himself he quickly schooled his face to one of haughty indifference and zoomed the image out.

'What in the name of Amalur is going on!?' Kagome was looking up warmly at that Gargoyle. The one _he _had saved from his brethren when they would have killed him for his gentle ways. Jareth had allowed him to become caretaker of the Endless Library, and this was how he repaid him?! He appeared to be giving Kagome directions, pointing outwards and explaining something. Jareth frowned in displeasure as Kagome smiled warmly and gave the Gargoyle a big hug. He continued to watch as she walked towards the hills in the distance, and upon reaching the top, turn and wave enthusiastically at the still watching Gargoyle. That Gargoyle would pay for his insolence, but first it was time to visit the dear Kagome.

* * *

AN* I want some feedback from you guys. Like it? Hate it? Is there room for improvement? Let me know, please so I can become a better writer.

Cultural Note

A big thing I've noticed on this site is the misuse of the word Houshi. It doesn't mean monk. It's more of a title term, just like you would call a priest 'father' or a nun 'sister'. Depending upon the level of ordainment and the sect practiced, the term for monk is actually quite varied in Japanese. The general term for Monk I suppose is Shuudousou (I wish I could type that in hiragana), or simply Sou, depending on their level and sect. However when you are addressing a Buddhist Monk, if you are not aware of their Buddhist name, Obousan or Obousama is more appropriate, depending on how polite you wish to be. *Warning* This is not true for Shinto priests or priestesses so don't confuse them!

The term houshi is actually quite a dated one, if I remember my lessons right it dates back to the feudal era… which is appropriate considering. Houshi actually is one of the very many terms in Japanese that means service and selfless devotion. When Sango calls Miroku, Houshi-sama, she is being both respectful and slightly sarcastic (at least I think she is). She doesn't address him as a proper Monk because… well that hand of his, and I'm not talking about his wind tunnel. I'm not sure which sect of Buddhhism Miroku belongs in, usually you can tell by the color and style of their kesa (that purple thing he wears over his robe) but I've never seen or heard of a Japanese sect that wore purple. Considering the price of purple cloth during that time period, it would not have been efficient or very monkly since the whole point of the Buddhist faith was to give up worldly possessions in search of enlightenment and not to drape yourself in expensive cloth. But then again no one has ever accused Miroku of being a very good Monk. I know that the Korean Monks who brought Buddhism over to Japan wore purple, but I think it was mostly to impress the Japanese court, than any specific religious reason.

***************

Bishonen'sFoxyMiko- Ah! Yay! An old friend. I'm so glad you found me. Do you still remember that sneak peak I gave you? I have time to write in my life again so I put these up on new site with notifications, so people will know. Please enjoy!


	8. The Price of Knowledge

Kagome's Paths

By Kagehoshi

Ch8 The Price of Knowledge

It seemed as if she had been walking for hours, but Kagome knew that truthfully it had only been 30 minutes at the most. The rolling hills she had walked over from the Library had given way to open grassy moors on her right and a forest that seemed to be entirely dead on her left. Every once in a while the scenery was punctuated by a rocky outcropping rearing from the earth, but other than that it was quite dull. Though in all honestly she could not keep much of an eye on her surroundings as every ounce of concentration was needed for keeping upright on the stony dirt road. Ha! Dirt road her pasty Asian ass! The thing was mostly stones, small loose stones that slid out from under your feet as you tried to walk over them or large pointy ones that dug painfully into the fleshy part of one's foot. Kagome had been wearing her thin house slippers when she had been brought to the Labyrinth, and while they were quite alright for grassy plains, paved pathways and marble floored libraries; they were absolutely horrible for rocky dirt roads. She could feel everything through the thin silk and none of it was very pleasant. Kagome let out another angry exclamation as she stumbled over yet another stone. Goddamn it!! That was the fourth time she had almost fallen! Kagome had tried earlier to walk upon the grassy border alongside the road, but to her horror as she walked along, the road seemed to fade and disappear before her eyes. Quickly she had scrambled back onto the path before it was lost it completely. It seemed that in the Labyrinth you must walk directly upon your chosen path to reach your destination, instead of taking the easier route next to it.

"Mukatsuku!" Kagome exclaimed, as yet another stone dug painfully into her tender flesh. She immediately covered her mouth in horror at the vulgar word coming from her mouth, but the damage had already been done.

"My my, such language is hardly becoming of a Lady." The voice, cool and arrogant, was one Kagome recognized immediately and she whirled around to face its owner.

Jareth lounged indolently upon a large outcropping of rock, looking too damn relaxed for his own good. Kagome remained silent, but her eyes burned with the anger she felt towards the conceited monarch.

"Oh dear, are you angry with me Kagome?" He said mockingly as he arched his lithe body off the rock face.

'Goddamn him and his tight pants.' Kagome thought as she quickly averted her eyes away from the approaching Fae ruler.

"What. No quick comebacks, no witty retort? You disappoint me dear girl."

Kagome glared up at him as he stopped a few feet away, and clenched her fists into the material of her skirt.

"I don't care anything for your opinion of me, _Your Majesty._" She replied mockingly, "I wish only to retrieve my brother and be gone from this Labyrinth and your continued presence."

Kagome could have sworn she saw a brief flash of anger flit across the man's eyes, but it was replaced so quickly by icy arrogance that she was not sure if her eyes had been playing tricks on her.

"How touching, it makes me wonder why you try so hard to rescue this child, a child which you wished away in the first place."

"I did not wish him away on purpose!! I was upset!! And wasn't thinking clearly!" Kagome snarled, something about this insufferable male drove her to anger like no other had before. Perhaps it was his insistence in assuming she had no care for her family. It just wasn't true! Her family was everything to her, both of them. Kagome struggled against the sudden insurgence of sorrow, and the emotion must have been reflected in her eyes for Jareth cocked his head to the side curiously and leaned back slightly.

"You are hiding something from me." It was said as a statement, an accusation, a plea.

"I'm hiding a great deal from you Goblin King." Kagome snorted, then backed up quickly as Jareth moved in closer.

"How is it that you are moving so quickly through my Labyrinth?" He switched the topic again swiftly, and Kagome was momentarily thrown back at the sudden change in direction of his words.

"Eh?"

"Almost as if you had received directions." He continued, ignoring her confused sound. "Are you so helpless that you cannot do anything without the help of others?"

This barb struck deep and hard, and Kagome sucked in a short breath of deep-seated pain. She had had a lifetime's worth of being called useless, and she wasn't going to hear it from some jerk with something sharp up his ass! Her face turned deathly white, and she lashed out at the Goblin King.

"Nobody can get through life completely on their own Goblin King! Everyone needs support of some kind!" Her tone was hard, yet her voice quivered in her throat. Jareth noticed and tried to push his advantage.

"I have never needed such." He replied evenly, closely observing the girl before him as her sapphire eyes seemed to glow with suppressed rage.

"Oh really?! Where would you be without your precious Labyrinth? Or your damnable Goblins?!" Kagome shot back, her voice just as cold if a little uneven.

"I would be free." His voice was soft as he said it, almost wistful. Kagome paused slightly at this unexpected answer, but refused to let herself be beaten by his trickery.

"Free to do what, steal more children at will?!!"

Kagome suddenly lost the power to breathe at the sight of Jareth's coldly furious eyes. Instantly he was in front of her, and before she could react to his presence, his arms snaked around her small body and pulled her roughly against his own. Kagome struggled violently, but she was no match for the Goblin King's super-human strength. Her fingers clutched the soft silk of his shirt as Kagome looked up into the Goblin King's mismatched eyes.

"Know this Little Mortal, I take only those children who are not wanted. There must be strong emotion behind the Words in order to call me, and in all the many eons of my existence I have never felt such strong feelings behind a wish as there was behind yours. So I ask you what emotion, if not hate, called me from my realm to claim your brother?"

Kagome stared up at him in shock as his words sunk in then suddenly the damn broke and everything that she had been trying to suppress since entering this realm came out it one large burst of feeling.

"It was _sorrow_ you JACKASS!!!" and with that Kagome let lose with a blast of spiritual energy, hoping that at least the flash would surprise Jareth enough to let her go.

Jareth's look of complete shock was lost on Kagome as she was abruptly dropped to the stone road, and the mighty Goblin King was thrown backwards several feet to slam into the rocky outcropping where he had originally appeared. Kagome drew in a shaky breath from her position and looked up at Jareth with trepidation. She had not meant to make the blast that strong, usually it was difficult to call forth the energy residing within her, yet this time the magic had responded readily to her pull and had come out faster then anticipated. Her eyes reached Jareth's form and Kagome could not quell the small shiver of fear that ran up her spine. Jareth was supporting himself up against the rocks, his breathing hard and his normally immaculate attire utterly a mess, but it was the icy cold expression on his face that had Kagome shivering in fear.

"How did you do that?" His voice was low, yet the fury in it could easily be felt by the frightened Priestess. Kagome slowly and painfully got to her feet, shaking violently as she did so, her eyes firmly fixed on the raging king before her.

"I… I" She could not get the words past her mouth.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!!!" Jareth roared and lunged forwards off the rocks, intent on grabbing the girl once again, and shaking the answers from her if necessary. However, Kagome had others ideas as she turned and ran like a bat out of hell. Heading for the skeletal forest before her, Kagome dodged between the trees desperately seeking to get as much distance between the enraged ruler and herself.

She used every trick she had learned from her past, every bit of skill she had was used to streak through the dense trees loping like a deer before a hunter, her ebony hair strung out behind her like a banner. She darted through the forest, her vision blurring as she pushed her aching body faster. The further in she went the thicker the forest became, the dead braches catching at her uniform and tearing at the cloth as she surged forward, too scared to slow down and untangle herself. It was dark and Kagome could see nothing through her tears, hear nothing save for the ripping of her clothes from the sharp branches, feel nothing save for the pounding of her heart in her chest. Suddenly the ground beneath her feet crumbled and Kagome was pitched downwards at an alarming rate, her startled scream lost within the dense forest branches above her.

Kagome let lose another scream as her body hit icy water, but the sound was once again lost, this time in the murky depths of the river water. Her battered and bruised body was pounded by the strong current of the icy river, and Kagome fought to gain control. She was so tired from the walk and from her frightened run, yet she refused to give up. She had to save Souta! Her little brother was depending on her. Painfully Kagome forced her aching and frozen muscles to move and bring her towards the water's surface where she could bring air into her screaming lungs. The current buffeted her body about like a piece of dead wood, and Kagome struggled valiantly to reach the water's surface. So caught up in her attempt to reach her goal, Kagome failed to notice the large log of half waterlogged wood heading straight for her. The log struck her in the back of the head, causing the struggling girl to see multi-colored lights. Kagome fought against the encroaching darkness, but all of her energy and will to fight had been sorely taxed by the adventures of the past several hours. Kagome's body ceased its resistance and began to sink further into the murky depths of the icy river. As her vision darkened Kagome thought she saw an arm coming out from the depths as if to stop her descent, but that was probably just the hallucination of a dying girl Kagome thought as the darkness consumed her.

******************

"What do you think it is? I've never seen anything like it before. It's bottom part's been split in two."

Kagome swam slowly back into consciousness, her mind fuzzy with exhaustion and a combination of many other things, mostly painful. The annoyingly high pitched voice continued to speak, further dragging her back into the realm of the living.

"Look its scales are starting to sag off, do you think it's diseased?" Kagome felt a slight tugging on her socks and opened her eyes, then promptly shut them again as her retinas were instantly attacked by blinding light. She shifted, then immediately groaned as the movement instantly sparked feelings of intense pain throughout her body.

"Oooooh it made a sound, does that mean it's alive?"

Kagome opened her mouth to tell whoever it was to shut up and let her die in peace, but all that managed to come out was a great deal of water.

"Tsk, look at all that wasted water. How rude."

Kagome opened her eyes once more, blinking away the light she jerked back in surprise as the owner of that annoying voice came into focus. It appeared to be a young girl, a little younger than Kagome with greenish blond hair and pale green eyes. There was also a strange greenish tint to her skin, but the thing that shocked Kagome most about the young girl was that she was completely naked! Kagome struggled upwards onto her elbows and got a better look at her rescuer. Her eyes widened in surprise, it wasn't a naked girl it was a _mermaid_! Where her legs and feet should have been instead was an immense emerald green fish tail. The mermaid cocked her head at Kagome in curiosity and poked at Kagome's legs once more, there were several other mer-people about, both males and females of various ages and coloring and they were all staring at her.

"Are you diseased?" The young mermaid asked Kagome.

"N-no." Kagome managed to gasp out.

"What happened to your tail then?" the mermaid questioned, poking at Kagome's legs and pulling at her socks. Kagome coughed up some more water and sat up a little straighter.

"I'm human." Was all that she could gasp out, before she coughed up more water. At this announcement the merpeople began to chatter quickly between each other.

"Did you hear that? A human."

"I knew what she was almost immediately."

"What are those things called again… Legs right?"

Kagome ignored them as she took stock of her appearance. She was soaked through, and her white uniform top left very little to the imagination, thankfully she was wearing a blue bra which at least kept her breasts from view. However that was a very small concession considering the actual state of her uniform. The left sleeve had been completely torn off, its location unknown, while the right sleeve had ripped right up the seam and now hung uselessly at her side. The sailor flap in the back had completely ripped off along with the rest of her collar and her tie was nowhere in sight, this made the neckline of her shirt larger than before and showed quite a bit more skin than Kagome would have liked. Her skirt was in no better condition, a split ran all the way up her right leg only stopping at the thick hemming at her waist and showing her leg every time she moved and quite a bit of her blue panties, not to mention the fact that the hemming at the bottom of the skirt had come partially undone and was allowing the cloth to unravel.(1) With her personal inventory done Kagome painfully righted herself fully and looked around at her surroundings. She had been lying on a slight peninsula jutting out into the icy river in which she had almost drowned. The beach seemed to be comprised of black sand and broken chunks of white rocks, giving the whole place an eerie sinister feeling. Across the way Kagome could see the dead forest which she had run through in her panicked dash, she also noted the height of the cliff from which she had fallen and mentally winced as she recalled the pain of hitting the water from such a height. Behind her was a long stretch of rocky outcroppings and dirt ways punctuated by small tufts of browning grass. 'how depressing' Kagome thought as she surveyed the environment around her.

The merpeople were still chatting away as Kagome painfully sat down on a nearby boulder with her legs stretched out before her, and began to wring the excess water out of her hip-length hair.

"What are you doing?" The young mermaid questioned Kagome, thus bringing everyone's attention back to the human girl.

"I'm trying to get the extra water out of my hair." Kagome replied calmly, these creatures had saved her life the least she could do was be polite.

"Why would you want to do that?" The mermaid asked, still poking curiously at Kagome's legs.

"Because humans are much happier being dry." Kagome responded, now wringing the cloth of her shirt between her hands.

"Oh, so you really are a human then?"

"Yes, just a plain ordinary everyday run-of-the-mill human." Kagome grumbled trying to wring out the remains of her skirt without destroying it further. Drawing her legs closer Kagome removed her thin white house slippers and attempted to peel off her baggy knee socks. The reaction from the mer-people was almost immediate.

"Ahhhh!! She's peeling off her own flesh!"

"Oh, the horror!!"

"I think I'm going to be sick!"

Kagome paused in her ministrations and stared at the Mer-people in confusion, 'what was their problem now?' she wondered. The young mermaid closest to Kagome spoke up angrily.

"You iare/i diseased!!" She exclaimed, backing away from Kagome quickly into the deeper part of the lake. Kagome frowned and tugged harder on her socks in anger.

"I am no such thing!" She said firmly, "And I don't appreciate being referred to as such."

The mermaid splashed the water about her roughly and responded in a tone just as angry as Kagome's. "If you are not diseased then how is it you can peel your flesh off in such a manner?"

"Peel my flesh…? Oh for heaven's sake these are my socks you twit! They're just clothes!"

"Clothes?" The mermaid swam close once again and watched avidly as Kagome finally managed to remove her socks and wring them out. "What are clothes?" Kagome ignored the ridiculous mutterings of the other mer-people and held out her socks to the young one in front of her. Gentling her voice Kagome answered the curious girl's question.

"They're pieces of cloth we use to cover ourselves in order to keep warm and for modesty."

"Ooooohhh…" The young mermaid reached her hand out tentatively and touched the socks which Kagome held in her hand. "They feel so strange!" The young water maiden squealed in excitement, then before Kagome could react she snatched the socks from Kagome's hand and swam over to her friends to show them her strange new treasure.

"Hey give those back!" Kagome called out swiping ineffectually at the retreating mermaid. "I need those!" but her cries were completely ignored as the other merpeople crowded around the younger one and touched tugged and prodded at the pieces of clothing in her hands. Some of the bolder ones began to swim closer to the shore and Kagome in search of more treasures from the surface world. Kagome managed to snatch up her slippers before they too were lost to the grasping hands of the merfolk, the slippers weren't much but they were better than walking around barefoot. Still hoping to get her socks back Kagome began to call out once again to the crowd gathered around the little mermaid, but to her frustration the whole crowd of them were gone along with her socks. The Priestess let out a very unladylike screech of frustration and considered letting loose a few choice words to let her feelings on the mater be truly known, however she refrained since the last time she had cursed she had had a very unwelcome visitor drop in which was how she had gotten into the mess in the first place. Sighing in resignation Kagome put on her thin house slippers and sloshed her way up the black sandy bank and into the rocky valley in front of her. The directions given by Hiroyuki were completely useless now, she would have to find her own way through this Labyrinth.

* * *

While the cloth used to make school uniforms is very sturdy and nearly impossible to rip, usually the sewing used to put it together is very poor. Which means that it's quite easy to rip out the seams. In fact when girls first receive their uniforms most of them rip out the seams themselves and re-sew them so that the uniform will fit better and it won't rip at an embarrassing time. At least this is how it was at my High School, apparently my Brother's school had perfectly fine uniforms.


	9. Renewal

Kagome's Paths

By Kagehoshi

CH9 Renewal

AN*bows in apology* Ah! I am so sorry it took so long. I have had a very busy year, and am now recovering from pneumonia. I will try to get the next chapter out before the end of the month!

It Breathed, and for the first time in centuries the magic flowed freely. It Sighed, and for the first time in ages the wind blew. It Shifted, and for the first time in eons it moved easily. It had dwindled so much as time had passed, yet now there was magic, enough magic for it to be restored to its full glory.

Like a creature brought back from the brink of death the Labyrinth reached its awareness to the farthest borders of its being and reveled in the life that had been restored to it. The deep aching pain of decay no longer pierced its being, as new life and magic flowed through the ley-lines of power which crisscrossed the expanse of the Labyrinth. The lethargy that had seeped into its awareness during the dark time disappeared and the fog that clouded its thoughts cleared. Soon it would be as if the dark time had never happened, as if the magic had never waned. Its power continued to flow throughout its being, like clean air into the lungs of someone who had been choking.

As if sensing the renewal of the Labyrinth's magic, creatures that had long since gone dormant began to stir with life. Even the plant life sensing the revival of power sprouted new growth and started to bloom, covering the Labyrinth in color and the fresh scent of new life.

Pushing the new magic to the farthest corners of its being to the places where it had been crumbling, the Labyrinth began to heal and repair itself from the ravages of long decay. Crumbling walls rebuilt themselves; rotting doors suddenly became like new again in their frames. Paths where the stones had cracked and come loose were fixed and made smooth once more. The whole Labyrinth shone with the glowing power of magic and dormant power.

The denizens of the Labyrinth looked on in amazement, as the Labyrinth changed and revived around them. The bird-hat man was startled into the waking world as the fountain in his courtyard began to flow with water once again. The Firey's paused in the dancing and watched in amazement as their forest blossomed around them. In the Goblin city, goblins scrambled to get out of the way as masonry shifted and moved fixing up crumbling walls and houses and even swallowing the large pile of garbage that had accumulated in the streets. Even the castle was given a good fixing up, as centuries worth of dust and debris suddenly disappeared and all the chickens were forcibly expelled from its halls. In the Endless Library, magical scones lit up, flooding the dark corners of the Library with light and chasing away the shadows of decay. And at the front gate all the weeds and rocks that had choked the flower beds completely disappeared leaving only healthy blossoming flowers. Not a single section of the Labyrinth escaped the renewing flow of power. Even the Bog of Eternal Stench got a burst of power, much to the misery of nearby creatures.

Even the creatures living in the Labyrinth felt the pulse of power swell within them. Fairies were suddenly flying faster and farther than ever before zipping around the Labyrinth like bright streaks of colored light. Unicorns, feeling frisky for the first time in ages, raced across the now green fields their silver manes streaming out behind them. One stone sentinel felt so energized that it began to sing, incredibly out of tune and off-beat, but a song nonetheless. Gone was the lifeless scary looking Labyrinth from before, in its place was truly a Kingdom of magic. Yet no one felt the surge of power more acutely then the Labyrinth's ruler. Jareth let out a gasp of surprise as he felt his body practically explode with power, little lines that were hardly noticeable disappeared from his face and the draining exhaustion he had been feeling for eons vanished in an instant. Jareth suddenly felt as if he could rearrange the heavens and not even break a sweat. The Labyrinth was renewed!


	10. An Understanding

Kagome's Paths

By Kagehoshi

Ch10 An Understanding

**AN*** Yes that's right I've finally updated this story. I have had the WORST writers block ever, I haven't been able to write anything for any of my stories. It's been driving me iinsane/i. Everything I write is poo! T_T I still don't like this chapter, so at some point I'm going to go back and make this good, I SWEAR, but for now I'm pretty sure you guys are anxiously awaiting for a continuation of this story. Soooo here you go. Enjoy!

* * *

She disliked the cold, intensely, and she was very very cold right now. Shivering in her soaking wet and torn uniform and walking through a dismally bleak empty gray field Kagome felt truly miserable. Rubbing her bare arms in a pathetic attempt to gain some molecule of warmth Kagome continued to move across the dreary landscape. Shivering as a slight breeze caressed her damp skin Kagome hugged herself tighter and crested the top of the latest hill she had been struggling up. Her breath caught in her throat and she mentally gave a shout of joy as she spied what looked to be a crumbling city sitting in the valley below her. At least the walls would offer some protection from the icy winds and with any luck there would be something she could use to cover herself up or at least something she could burn for a fire, anything that could possibly offer a respite from this never ending cold. Kagome shivered again and sneezed loudly as another breeze ran its cold fingers across her damp flesh. The sneeze echoed throughout the craggy landscape causing Kagome to wince, that had been embarrassingly loud; thankfully there was no one around to hear that. Still shivering Kagome continued on her way towards the city.

A few miles away a creature awoke from a nap deep in its lair and opened its amber, cat-like eyes. Was that a sound? She slinked out of her warm nest and turned her head towards where she thought she had heard the noise come from. Catching a strange scent in the breeze she smiled and licked her lips, it had been millennia since she had last had fun with a human. She leaned back on her haunches and stretched, flexing her claws in glee; this was going to be exciting, hopefully this one would be more amusing than the last one.

Kagome was desperately trying to remember how to prevent hypothermia, as she was most fairly certain she was going to get it. After struggling over rocky sandy soil she had finally entered the collapsing remains of the city only to discover that there was absolutely nothing left except cold cruel rocks, and to make matters worse the wind whipped through the narrow streets at an even faster rate than it had outside of the city. Her uniform was still unpleasantly damp and in its tattered state offered little to no protection from the sharp winds that whistled through the rocky maze. Her only thought was to keep moving, because if she stopped then she was almost certain she wouldn't be able to start back up again. She soon found herself walking towards the remains of a large crumbling gateway, obviously the exit out from this sad skeletal city. Holding herself tightly Kagome grit her teeth and continued to move forward, all her concentration on taking one more step, just one more. So it was entirely understandable that the shadow that passed over her face and the sound of feathery wings went completely unnoticed by the freezing Priestess. However the presence of a large furry foot in her field of vision got her attention like nothing else. In fact that furry appendage got so much of her attention that the creature it was attached to was completely ignored for several seconds. When Kagome's brain thawed out enough to realize that there was probably something unfriendly attached to that paw, she immediately jumped back into a defensive position and prepared for a fight. What met Kagome's eyes was a creature straight out of ancient legend. With a serpent tail, the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the head and chest of a woman the Sphinx was truly a fearsome sight, and it was a sight that Kagome was not all that happy to see.

"Why hello little human, what brings you to this place?" the creature all but purred at her. Kagome swallowed and took an impulsive step back. The Sphinx rolled her red lips back from her fangs, in a grim approximation of a smile.

"N-nothing of any real importance." Kagome stuttered out. The Sphinx's grin widened and she stalked forward towards the frightened girl.

"It has been over 2,000 years since a human has come to my city, not since its great destruction by the Argead King."(1) The Sphinx sat on its haunches and gave Kagome a piercing curious look. "So I highly doubt your visit is 'Nothing of real importance'"

Kagome shook as the Sphinx continued to regard her curiously, and Kagome wasn't sure if it was from the cold, or from fear. The Sphinx's nose twitched and she slinked closer to Kagome.

"You smell different, human and yet… not."

Kagome gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering. "I'm human."

The Sphinx lay down on her haunches, crossed her paws and flicked her serpent tail nonchalantly.

"You interest me little human, and that is saying a great deal. How are you called among your kind?"

"Ka-kagome," Her shivering had become more violent, "My name is Kagome."

"Kagome." The Sphinx all but purred out the name, "My name has been lost to time, but you may call me Phix if you are so inclined."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Phix-san." The reply was automatic, only long ingrained good manners causing the words to tumble out.

"Perhaps." Phix replied, smiling "And perhaps not. You have wandered into my territory and must therefore solve my riddle to pass."

"A riddle?" Kagome asked confused.

"Yes a riddle. That is generally what happens in these situations, though usually it is a male who comes seeking glory." Kagome made a sound of annoyance in the back of her throat and Phix's smile grew wider. "But in this case I am glad it was you. I do hope you won't make me eat you." Kagome's head shot up in alarm.

"Eat me?" The cold was all but forgotten now.

"Only if you don't get the riddle right." Phix explained, "I am sorry but that's just how things are done here, it's nothing personal. If it's any consolation I will be very sorry to have to do it."

"That makes me feel so much better." Kagome muttered sarcastically, "Alright, what's the riddle." Best to just get this over with, right or wrong at least she'd get away from this place and hopefully away from the cold.

Phix blinked once then recited:

_Screaming, soaring, seeking sky_

_Flowers of fire, flying high_

_Eastern art, from ancient time_

_Name me now, and solve this rhyme_

Kagome thought hard, shivering in the cold air, Kagome tried to think. Something about that riddle sounded familiar. Something someone had said a long time ago. She politely asked Phix to repeat the rhyme and the Sphinx complied, resting comfortably on her haunches. Flowers of fire? Shippo's smiling face suddenly rose in her mind, and Kagome blinked away the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. One time for Tanabata she had brought a surprise for everybody through the well. She remembered Shippo had been totally enthralled and called them fire flowers.

"Fireworks." Kagome whispered. Phix looked up from inspecting her paw, and narrowed her eyes at Kagome.

"What was that?"

"Fireworks." Kagome said, "That's the answer isn't it?" Phix rose to her feet and stood directly in front of Kagome her amber colored eyes boring directly into Kagome's sapphire ones. Kagome resisted the urge to back away and despite the biting cold, began to sweat nervously. They stayed locked liked this for what seemed like forever to Kagome, but was in fact only a few minutes, and the Phix sat down and smiled softly.

"You have answered correctly, you may pass."

Kagome let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Then squared her shoulders and looked Phix directly in the eye.

"Thank you very much. I'm trying to reach the castle at the center of the Labyrinth could you please point the way?"

Phix blinked then arched one eyebrow in surprise.

"Why would you choose to go to the goblin king's castle? That is no place for a human."

"I have to go, he has something of mine..."

"Ah, a Wisher are you? I had wondered what a human was doing in this place." Phix turned around and began to walk away, "Once they have given their answer I have no further interest in adventurers." Kagome scowled and opened her mouth for a fiery retort but Phix beat her to it, "However, if you go off in that direction," the serpent tale waved off to the left, "I of course would not care one way or another." The sphinx pause a second and looked over her shoulder, "I will of course thank you for this break in the monotony of my life and wish you the best of luck in your quest."

The warmth of gratitude filled Kagome's chest and she smiled warmly at Phix.

"Domo arigatou gozaimasu Phix-san" Kagome bowed politely, "I am most grateful for your consideration." Kagome then hurried off towards where Phix had pointed. Phix watched her go until the human girl had crested the hill and gone out of sight. Turning to go back to her own lair Phix's gaze was caught by a flash of color. Swinging around fully to look at the strange object Phix reared back in shock. 'Impossible! This was impossible! The Great King had salted the earth when he had destroyed the city, for over 5000 years the lands around this place had been barren of all life, so how? How could this be here?' Phix jerked her head back in the direction the human girl had left. 'The girl? Could it be?' Phix began to laugh, long and hard she laughed until tears poured down her face and could no longer stand on her paws. Growing innocently nearby, directly upon the spot Kagome had been standing was a small green plant, a single spark of life in an otherwise dead land.

* * *

(1) If someone can tell me this King's name and the name of the city they get a free sneak peak of future chapters.


	11. If You're happy and you Know it Sing

Kagome's Paths

By Kagehoshi

Ch 11 If you're bored and you know it sing a song

****Author's Notes

Yeah that's right it's an update, a real honest to goodness update. You may now worship me, or more appropriately you may worship DataSavers LLC for getting me back on track after my computer crashed and died. Turns out I have some fans in the computer industry 3.

This chapter is dedicated to everyone who gave me hope after my comps untimely demise.

His throat was definitely getting sore, but Souta kept up his singing as loudly as possible. If there was one skill he excelled at it was annoying the crap out of other people.

"Tōryanse, tōryanse

Koko wa doko no hosomichi ja?

Tenjin-sama no hosomichi ja

Chitto tōshite kudashanse

Goyō no nai mono tōshasenu

Kono ko no nanatsu no oiwai ni

O-fuda wo osame ni mairimasu

Iki wa yoi yoi, kaeri wa kowai

Kowai nagara mo

Tōryanse, tōryanse"(1)

The goblins in charge of taking care of him groaned in annoyance, the prisoner had been singing that song non-stop for the past several hours and they could feel the notes vibrating in their rotting teeth. Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could do, His Majesty had ordered that no harm should come to the boy, so they weren't allowed to stick an apple in his mouth and roast him on a spit.

Truth be told Souta was getting was annoyed at himself. He wasn't a big fan of this song under normal circumstances, but after singing it straight through twenty-two times he could honestly say that he despised this song with the burning passion of a thousand suns. Grimly he pressed on, absolutely determined that he was going to drive his captors into the furthest reaches of insanity even if he had to go there himself and drag them along with him. Finally on the thirty-seventh rendition of the Tōryanse one of the goblin guards finally decided he didn't want to deal with it anymore and promptly smashed his head into a nearby barrel of ale, blissfully knocking himself unconscious and simultaneously opening the barrel. Unable to resist the roughly opened barrel full of alcohol the other goblins quickly crowded around the free booze and proceeded to drink every last drop, some even going so far as to crunch down on the ale soaked wood. Soon every Goblin soldier in the throne room was either drunk off their ass, or working diligently towards that goal. Throughout the frenzied binge drinking Souta had continued to sing his song, but now that most of the guards were passed out or too trashed to care anymore Souta gratefully ceased his singing and took stock of the situation. There wasn't a single sober goblin in sight and Souta knew for a fact that every being with in hearing distance of his singing had vacated the area in a flaming hurry as soon as it became apparent he wasn't stopping anytime soon. Souta smirked to himself and began to stealthily inch towards the door, not wanting to alert those goblins who were still semi-conscious.

'Oh yeah, he was the master of disaster. The Prince of Pesky. The Baron of Bother. The Duke of Distress. There's no situation he can't annoy his way out of. Watch out world here comes... kuso kuso kuso!'

Souta had literally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case the fresh air at the end of the garbage dump, when King Jareth himself had crashed through the doors and stormed into the throne room his beautiful face white in fury. His normally pristine white silk shirt was torn and filthy, and he was bleeding profusely from a cut on his temple. The enraged Goblin King cast his mismatched glare around the throne room until it landed on Souta who was plastered up against the wall only a few feet from the door. Jareth stalked over towards the surprised Higurashi and then proceeded to lift the small boy up by the collar of his shirt and shake him roughly.

"What is your sister! Who is she? She is no ordinary human!" The Goblin King snarled into Souta's face, "You will tell me everything or you'll be spending all of eternity as a toad!"

It took a few seconds, but then Souta got over his shock of being tossed around and began to feel a warm glow in the center of his chest, this feeling spread throughout his body and gave Souta the courage to do something incredibly stupid. He smirked like the cat who caught the canary and washed it down with some cream.

"You pissed her off didn't you?"

Jareth growled in frustration and flung Souta into the wall. The younger Higurashi smacked into the wall and fell to the floor, slightly dazed but still sporting the same smug smile. As quickly as he had entered, Jareth exited the throne room his rage still hanging in the air. For several minutes there was complete silence in the throne room until a chicken, which had been perched up on some beams near the ceiling, let out a cluck and laid an egg, which then proceeded to fall on the still stunned Souta and break over his head.

Translation:

Let me pass, let me pass

What is this narrow pathway here?

It's the narrow pathway of the Tenjin shrine

Please allow me to pass through

Those without good reason shall not pass

To celebrate this child's 7th birthday

I've come to dedicate my offering

Going in may be fine, fine, but returning would be scary

It's scary but

Let me pass, let me pass*

* I chose the Tōryanse because out of all the Japanese Folk songs this one is the one I find most annoying! Traffic Lights! RAWR!

Answer to last Chapters question. The City was Thebes where Oedipus answered the Sphinx's riddle and which was destroyed by Alexander the Great (the Argead King) in 335 BCE.


End file.
